1.
Denmark
–
The term Danish Realm refers to the relationship between Denmark proper, the Faroe Islands and Greenland—three countries constituting the Kingdom of Denmark. The legal nature of the Kingdom of Denmark is fundamentally one of a sovereign state. The Faroe Islands and Greenland have been part of the Crown of Denmark since 1397 when the Kalmar Union was ratified, legal matters in The Danish Realm are subject to the Danish Constitution. Beginning in 1953, state law issues within The Danish Realm has been governed by The Unity of the Realm, a less formal name for The Unity of the Realm is the Commonwealth of the Realm. In 1978, The Unity of The Realm was for the first time referred to as rigsfællesskabet. The name caught on and since the 1990s, both The Unity of The Realm and The Danish Realm itself has increasingly been referred to as simply rigsfællesskabet in daily parlance. The Danish Constitution stipulates that the foreign and security interests for all parts of the Danish Realm are the responsibility of the Danish government, the Faroes received home rule in 1948 and Greenland did so in 1979. In 2005, the Faroes received a self-government arrangement, and in 2009 Greenland received self rule, the Danish Realms unique state of internal affairs is acted out in the principle of The Unity of the Realm. This principle is derived from Article 1 of the Danish Constitution which specifies that constitutional law applies equally to all areas of the Danish Realm, the Constitutional Act specifies that sovereignty is to continue to be exclusively with the authorities of the Realm. The language of Denmark is Danish, and the Danish state authorities are based in Denmark, the Kingdom of Denmarks parliament, with its 179 members, is located in the capital, Copenhagen. Two of the members are elected in each of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The Government ministries are located in Copenhagen, as is the highest court, in principle, the Danish Realm constitutes a unified sovereign state, with equal status between its constituent parts. Devolution differs from federalism in that the powers of the subnational authority ultimately reside in central government. The Self-Government Arrangements devolves political competence and responsibility from the Danish political authorities to the Faroese, the Faroese and Greenlandic authorities administer the tasks taken over from the state, enact legislation in these specific fields and have the economic responsibility for solving these tasks. The Danish government provides a grant to the Faroese and the Greenlandic authorities to cover the costs of these devolved areas. The 1948 Home Rule Act of the Faroe Islands sets out the terms of Faroese home rule, the Act states. the Faroe Islands shall constitute a self-governing community within the State of Denmark. It establishes the government of the Faroe Islands and the Faroese parliament. The Faroe Islands were previously administered as a Danish county, the Home Rule Act abolished the post of Amtmand and these powers were expanded in a 2005 Act, which named the Faroese home government as an equal partner with the Danish government

2.
Anne of Denmark
–
Anne of Denmark was Queen consort of Scotland, England, and Ireland as the wife of King James VI and I. The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark, Anne married James in 1589 at age 15, Anne appears to have loved James at first, but the couple gradually drifted and eventually lived apart, though mutual respect and a degree of affection survived. In England, Anne shifted her energies from factional politics to patronage of the arts and constructed her own magnificent court, after 1612, she suffered sustained bouts of ill health and gradually withdrew from the centre of court life. Though she was reported to have been a Protestant at the time of her death, historians have traditionally dismissed Anne as a lightweight queen, frivolous and self-indulgent. However, recent reappraisals acknowledge Annes assertive independence and, in particular, Anne was born on 12 December 1574 at the castle of Skanderborg on the Jutland Peninsula in the Kingdom of Denmark. Her birth came as a blow to her father, King Frederick II of Denmark, but her mother, Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, was only 17, three years later she did bear Frederick a son, the future Christian IV of Denmark. With her older sister, Elizabeth, Anne was sent to be raised at Güstrow in Germany by her maternal grandparents, the Duke and Duchess of Mecklenburg. Christian was also sent to be brought up at Güstrow but two later, in 1579, the Rigsraad successfully requested his removal to Denmark, and Anne. Anne enjoyed a close, happy family upbringing in Denmark, thanks largely to Queen Sophie, James other serious possibility, though 8 years his senior, was Catherine, sister of the Huguenot King Henry III of Navarre, who was favoured by Elizabeth I of England. The constitutional position of Sophie, Annes mother, became difficult after Fredericks death in 1588, when she found herself in a power struggle with the Rigsraad for control of King Christian. As a matchmaker, however, Sophie proved more diligent than Frederick and, overcoming sticking points on the amount of the dowry, Anne herself seems to have been thrilled with the match. Whatever the truth of the rumours, James required a match to preserve the Stuart line. On 20 August 1589, Anne was married by proxy to James at Kronborg Castle, Anne set sail for Scotland within 10 days, but her fleet was beset by a series of misadventures. Finally being forced back to the coast of Norway, from where she travelled by land to Oslo for refuge, accompanied by the Earl Marischal and others of the Scottish and Danish embassies. According to a Scottish account, he presented himself to Anne, with boots and all, Anne and James were formally married at the Old Bishops Palace in Oslo on 23 November 1589, with all the splendour possible at that time and place. So that both bride and groom could understand, Leith minister David Lindsay conducted the ceremony in French and she giveth great contentment to his Majesty. The couple moved on to Copenhagen on 7 March and attended the wedding of Annes older sister Elizabeth to Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick and they arrived in the Water of Leith on 1 May. Five days later, Anne made her entry into Edinburgh in a solid silver coach brought over from Denmark

3.
Christian IV of Denmark
–
Christian IV, sometimes colloquially referred to as Christian Firtal in Denmark and Christian Kvart or Quart in Norway, was king of Denmark-Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 to 1648. His 59-year reign is the longest of Danish monarchs, and of Scandinavian monarchies, a member of the house of Oldenburg, Christian began his personal rule of Denmark in 1596 at the age of 19. He is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious, Christian IV obtained for his kingdom a level of stability and wealth that was virtually unmatched elsewhere in Europe. He engaged Denmark in numerous wars, most notably the Thirty Years War, which devastated much of Germany, undermined the Danish economy and he renamed the Norwegian capital Oslo as Christiania after himself, a name used until 1925. Christian was born at Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark on 12 April 1577 as the child and eldest son of King Frederick II of Denmark–Norway. He was descended, through his mothers side, from king John of Denmark, at the time, Denmark was still an elective monarchy, so in spite of being the eldest son Christian was not automatically heir to the throne. However, in 1580, at the age of 3, his father had him elected Prince-Elect, at the death of his father on 4 April 1588, Christian was 11 years old. He succeeded to the throne, but as he was still under-age a regency council was set up to serve as the trustees of the power while Christian was still growing up. It was led by chancellor Niels Kaas and consisted of the Rigsraadet council members Peder Munk, Jørgen Ottesen Rosenkrantz and his mother Queen Dowager Sophie,30 years old, had wished to play a role in the government, but was denied by the Council. At the death of Niels Kaas in 1594, Jørgen Rosenkrantz took over leadership of the regency council, Christian continued his studies at Sorø Academy and received a good education with a reputation as a headstrong and talented student. In 1595, the Council of the Realm decided that Christian would soon be old enough to assume control of the reins of government. On 17 August 1596, at the age of 19, Christian signed his haandfæstning, twelve days later, on 29 August 1596, Christian IV was crowned at the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen by the Bishop of Zealand, Peder Jensen Vinstrup. He was crowned with a new Danish Crown Regalia which had made for him by Dirich Fyring. On 30 November 1597, he married Anne Catherine of Brandenburg, Christian took an interest in many and varied matters, including a series of domestic reforms and improving Danish national armaments. New fortresses were constructed under the direction of Dutch engineers, the Danish navy, which in 1596 had consisted of but twenty-two vessels, in 1610 rose to sixty, some of them built after Christians own designs. The formation of a national army proved more difficult, up until the early 1620s, Denmarks economy profited from general boom conditions in Europe. This inspired Christian to initiate a policy of expanding Denmarks overseas trade and he founded a number of merchant cities, and supported the building of factories. He also built a number of buildings in Dutch Renaissance style

4.
Frederick II of Denmark
–
Frederick II was King of Denmark and Norway and duke of Schleswig from 1559 until his death. Frederick II was the son of King Christian III of Denmark and Norway and he was hailed as successor to the Throne of Denmark in 1542 and of Norway in 1548. As king, he visited Norway in 1585, when he came to Båhus, unlike his father, he was strongly affected by military ideals. Already as a man he made friendship with German war princes. Shortly after his succession he won his first victory with the conquest of Dithmarschen in Schleswig-Holstein by Johan Rantzau during the summer of 1559, from his predecessor, he inherited the Livonian War. In 1560, he installed his younger brother Magnus of Holstein in the Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek, Frederick largely tried to avoid conflict in Livonia and consolidated amicable relations to Ivan IV in the 1562 Treaty of Mozhaysk. As a vassal of Ivan IV of Russia, Magnus was the titular King of Livonia from 1570 to 1578. His competition with Sweden for supremacy in the Baltic broke out into open warfare in 1563, the start of the Seven Years War and he tried in vain to conquer Sweden, which was ruled by his cousin, King Eric XIV. It developed into an expensive war of attrition in which the areas of Scania were ravaged by the Swedes. During this war the king led his army personally on the battlefield, the conflict damaged his relationship to his noble councillors, however the Sture Murders of 24 May 1567 by the insane King Eric XIV in Sweden helped stabilize the situation in Denmark. After the war Frederick kept the peace without giving up his attempt of trying to expand his prestige as a naval ruler and his foreign politics were marked by a moral support of the Protestant powers – but at the same time by a strict neutrality. In 1552, Steward of the Realm Peder Oxe had been raised to Councillor of State, during the spring of 1557, Oxe and the King had quarreled over a mutual property exchange. Failing to compromise matters with the king, Oxe had fled to Germany in 1558, however, financial difficulties arose during the stress of the Northern Seven Years War. After state finances collapsed during the years 1566 to 1567, Frederik called Peder Oxe home to address the kingdoms economy, the taking over of Danish administration and finances by the able councillor, provided a marked improvement for the national treasury. Councillors of experience including Niels Kaas, Arild Huitfeldt and Christoffer Valkendorff took care of the domestic administration, subsequently government finances were put in order and Denmarks economy improved. One of the chief expedients of the state of affairs was the raising of the Sound Dues. Oxe, as treasurer, reduced the national debt considerably. This was a period of affluence and growth in Danish history, Frederick II rebuilt Kronborg castle in Elsinore between 1574 and 1585

5.
1648 in Denmark
–
Events from the year 1648 in Denmark. November 23 – Coronation of King Frederick III, november 24 – Coronation of Queen Sophie Amalie. By that time, the arch has already been dismantled, giving rise to various speculations and rumors, particularly relating to Corfitz Ulfeldt. Ove Gjedde resigns as Admiral and settles as a feudal magnate at Helsingborg Castle, physician and botanist Simon Paulli publishes the first Flora Danica, not to be mistaken with the later, more famous work of the same name from the 18th century. Published in Latin but translated into Danish by a student, it discourages the growing use of tobacco. Nicholas Mercator is employed by University of Copenhagen, poul Christian Schindler, composer February 28 – Christian IV, king of Denmark Vibeke Kruse, royal mistress

6.
Ellen Marsvin
–
Ellen Marsvin was a Danish noble, landowner and county administrator. She was the mother-in-law of King Christian IV of Denmark as the mother of Kirsten Munk and she was the daughter of the noble, council and governor Jørgen Marsvin and Karen Gyldenstierne. She was married to Ludvig Munk in 1589, widowed in 1602, she married the governor and noble Knud Rud in 1607. She was twice widowed in 1611, ellen was made the guardian of her daughters children with the king and the trustée of the allowances given to her grandchildren and made responsible for their fortune. She was made county administrator of Dalum Kloster 1620, unusual for her gender in the 17th-century. In 1629, when her daughter was accused of adultery, she introduced the king to his lover, Vibeke Kruse, to justify Kirstens adultery. The king respected her for her skill as a businessperson, in 1639, however, the king grew tired of her persistent demand that he recognize his wifes youngest daughter Dorothea Elisabeth, as his, and as a result, he fired her as county administrator. She left court and lived the rest of her life at her estates

7.
Albret Skeel
–
Albret Skeel was a Danish nobleman who held the office of Admiral of the Realm from 1616 to 1623. The son of Privy Councillor Christian Skeel, Albret Skeel was born at Fussingø on 23 November 1572, back in Denmark, Skeel was appointed squire at King Christian IVs court. In 1597 he escorted the king on his journey to Brandenburg to marry Anne Catherine of Brandenburg, in 1599 he was appointed royal cup-bearer and over the next few years accompanied the king on several more journeys. In 1616, after distinguishing himself in the Kalmar War from 1611 to 1613, he was appointed as Admiral of the Realm, in 1618 he was sent on a mission to Gottorp and in 1620 to Bremen and that same year he commanded a fleet in the North Sea. In the 1620 he embarked on criticism of Christian IVs foreign policies and, in 1629 he was a commissioner at the peace negotiations at Lübeck, and in 1631 and 1632 he was present at the Swedish peace negotiations at Lübeck. He died on 9 April 1639 and is buried at Ribe Cathedral, Skeel held Riberhus as a fief from 1601 to 1627 and again from 1628 to 1639. He acquired Katholm Manor in 1616,1626, Riberhus, d.19 July 1647, Odense

8.
Skovsbo Castle
–
Skovsbo Castle is a manor house located 6 km south-west of Kerteminde, on Funen, Denmark. The main building dates from the 1570s and is built in the Renaissance style, Skovsbo traces its history back to the 14th century. The castle seen today was built from 1572 to 1579 for privy councillor Erik Hardenberg, some of the land was sold off in lots in 1914. Built in the Renaissance style, with Dutch gables, Skovsbo consists of two floors over a basement and an octagonal staircase tower with a spire to the west. Across the road from Skovsbo stands a roadside crucifix which was installed in about 1600 by Anna Rønnow, the wife of Erik Hardenberg and it is the second oldest roadside crucifix in Denmark, second only to the Crucifix of Holy Anders near Slagelse. The estate covers 183 hectares of land and it is privately owned and was sold in 2006 for the price of DKK66.5 million

9.
Peder Oxe
–
Peder Oxe was a Danish finance minister and Steward of the Realm. At the age of twelve he was sent abroad to complete his education, and resided at the universities of Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy. His extraordinary financial abilities and pronounced political capacity soon found scope in public life. The same year he held the post of governor of Copenhagen, a few years later he incurred the royal disfavour in the administration of public property. In the spring of 1557, Oxe and the king quarrelled over a property exchange. A change for the better immediately ensued, Oxe died on 24 October 1575, after contributing more than any other statesman of his day to raise Denmark, for a brief period, to the rank of a great power. This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh, ed. Oxe. This work in turn cites, P. Oxes live og levuet Danmarks riges historie, vol.3 Peder Oxe et historisk billed Troels Lund Troels-Lund

At the death bed of Niels Kaas. The 17-year-old Christian IV receives from the dying chancellor the keys to the vault where the royal crown and sceptre are stored. History painting by Carl Bloch, 1880.